How to Utilise Social Media: A Guide for Actors and Creatives

The performing arts industry is changing. More and more casting directors, directors, agents and theatres use social media as a vehicle for their latest project, and I’m not just talking about student films and profit shares. Major castings are regularly broadcast on social media: at the time of writing this, a quick search found recent casting calls from Kahleen Crawford (‘I, Daniel Blake’, ‘The Miniaturist’), Jina Jay (‘Bird Box’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’) and Des Hamilton (‘This Is England’, ‘Bronson’). It’s never been more important for actors to have an online presence and if utilised correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool. But where to start?

Which Social Media Platforms to Use

The main platforms are:

Instagram

Instagram has over 3 billion users and is a highly visual platform. Content includes images and videos, known as reels. Instagram is perfect for keeping your followers up to date with what you’re working on: a backstage photo of the cast or a behind-the-scenes snap on set, for example. It’s also a place to stay up to date on industry goings-on. Follow your favourite theatre festival, headshot photographer, actor, casting director, etc. Casting directors frequently share casting calls on Instagram.

Actors on Spotlight can also connect a professional Instagram account directly to their Spotlight profile.

Facebook

Facebook may not be the platform of choice for younger audiences, but it remains one of the most widely used platforms globally.

Beyond a personal profile, it offers several useful tools for actors:

• Creating a professional page to share updates, run targeted adverts and track engagement
• Joining groups and communities of creatives to network, collaborate and stay informed
• Hosting events and inviting audiences to performances, screenings or workshops

Facebook is particularly effective for building community and having more in-depth conversations.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform focused on career development, industry insight and job opportunities. While traditionally used by business professionals, it is increasingly being adopted by actors and creatives as a space to network and strengthen their online presence.

It can be a powerful visibility tool. It’s not uncommon to encounter industry professionals who are already aware of your work through LinkedIn, even if you haven’t met them in person.

TikTok

TikTok is a video-based platform with powerful, easy-to-use tools for creating and sharing content. Actors use it to experiment with characters, highlight industry events, tell stories and create original performance-based content in a new medium.

TikTok’s editing tools make video creation accessible, allowing you to produce high-quality content without specialist equipment. It’s also increasingly used as a discovery platform, helping actors build visibility, connect with others in the industry, and get their work seen.

YouTube

YouTube can be particularly useful for actors who create their own work. As well as longer-form content such as short films, sketches, interviews and web series, YouTube Shorts provides another platform for short performance-based content. One advantage of YouTube is longevity: unlike content that rapidly disappears down a social-media feed, videos can continue to be discovered through search long after they are uploaded.

X (formerly Twitter)

Since its rebrand from Twitter to X by Elon Musk, the platform has shifted significantly and is now less widely used by actors and creatives. While it was once a key space for industry conversation and networking, its relevance for actors has declined.

That said, it can still be useful for following industry news, casting announcements and public conversations—though for most actors, it is no longer a primary platform.

Personal vs Professional

It’s important to consider how much separation you want between your personal and professional online presence. Some actors prefer dedicated professional accounts, while others successfully use one account for both. Whichever approach you take, remember that anything posted publicly may be seen by casting professionals, collaborators or employers – and what you share contributes to how you are perceived professionally.

A private account can offer more freedom, but it is never entirely risk-free. As a general rule, it’s wise to post with intention and consider how your content reflects you as a professional. Actors have lost jobs and found themselves at the centre of a scandal due to content from years ago that has resurfaced. 

Think carefully before you post.

How to Boost Engagement and Expand Your Reach

Getting more followers comes down to being active, relevant and posting high-quality content. Being an active social media user as a professional can feel like a full-time job, especially when working across multiple platforms, so it’s important that you retain a level of authenticity in your online persona.

Top tips:

• Spend time getting to know the individual platforms. See what like-minded creatives are doing and what works.
• Follow people you’re interested in.
• Engage in their posts: like, comment, share.
• Post consistently. To borrow an acting phrase, posting consistently is like keeping the ball in the air: it builds momentum and keeps the audience engaged.
• Join a community. There are plenty of groups on Facebook to get involved with, like Actors UK or regional groups like Midlands Actors and Extras.
• Self-promotion doesn’t tend to attract engagement. People engage more with content if they get something out of it – they might learn a new skill or find your content entertaining. Take us behind the scenes, offer your industry insight, start a conversation, share skills. If you offer real value to your audience, they’ll keep coming back.
• Link your social media profiles to your Spotlight CV.
• Be aware of trends, but don’t feel obliged to follow every one.
• Caption video wherever possible. A large proportion of social-media video is encountered without sound, and captions also make your work accessible to a wider audience.
• Be yourself. Hopefully, your personality makes you stand out as an actor, so let it make you stand out on social media too.

When to Post

When you have something to share, it’s natural to want to maximise engagement and reach as many people as possible.

There are general patterns in when audiences are most active, and tools such as Sprout Social can offer a useful guide. However, these patterns vary across platforms and shouldn’t be treated as fixed rules. Consistency and relevance are far more important than posting at a specific time.

If your content is ready and timely, it’s often better to share it rather than wait for the “perfect” moment.

If you’re balancing work and auditions, posting at specific times isn’t always practical. This is where social media schedulers can help. These tools allow you to plan and automatically publish content across platforms, helping you stay consistent without needing to be online constantly.

Two of the most popular schedulers are Hootsuite and Buffer, although their available plans and pricing change regularly.

Casting Calls

Social media can be a useful source of open casting calls, but approach them with more caution than castings appearing through established, regulated platforms. Anyone can post a casting notice on social media. Check the casting director or production company, make sure any email address is legitimate, research the production and never provide sensitive personal information simply because someone claims to be casting a major project.

What NOT to Post

Never assume that being involved in a production gives you permission to post about it. Photographs of sets, costumes, scripts, call sheets or other cast members may reveal confidential information, and some productions impose strict social-media or NDA requirements. If in doubt, wait until the production has made the information public or ask permission before posting.

The Laid-Back Approach

As useful as social media can be, it can also be addictive and, at times, demoralising. The instant validation of likes and shares can feel rewarding, but when a post you care about receives little or no engagement, it’s easy to question what went wrong. You can spend hours researching strategy, analysing trends and trying to optimise your content—but there will always be an element you can’t control. Sometimes a post simply doesn’t land.

Try not to place too much weight on likes and shares, and remember that engagement isn’t a measure of the value of your work.